A fairy tale character uses magic to help youngsters learn good health habits.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Encyclopaedia Britannica Films
Sponsor: N/A
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Health and hygiene

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: uniQ - - April 21, 2011
Subject: "the Cuticle!"
First, let me note that the portrait on the wall has a name! He's called Struwwelpeter and has an entire book to his name.

First, and most notably, the premise of this story is hilarious. A colonial American woman who has magic powers goes around telling boys and girls to groom themselves properly! Let me add her "magic" has to be seen and heard to be believed. Sproing!

Leaving aside the advice about how often to wash your hair, let me say that the "magic eyes" concept is completely unnecessary.

Unfortunately there are some cuts to the sound track in places, especially around the fingernail.

Worth watching just to see how wacky Encyclopedia Britannica could be!

Reviewer: Anbu - - August 23, 2008
Subject: Healthy habits
This Video is Precious... I am a teacher and it really helps a lot for the demonstration of Personal hygeine to my School Children.

Reviewer: bread - - August 17, 2006
Subject: silly, stupid, and dull
we all know that teaching our kids to keep clean is important, but this film is so silly and stupid i doubt it worked (could of, but unlikely).unfortunately, it's also very dull.it's OKish, but too dull.only download this if your downloading for the sake of downloading. still, has some nice footage of a 1950's bathroom, so it has some historic value.

Reviewer: scrounge - - May 1, 2005
Subject: OCD fairy
This educational film points out hygeine care tips for children in a laughable way. The OCD fairy tells us many "habits" to get into about hair and nail care. She advises "Don't use anybody's comb but your own." She chastises the girl in the film: "Alice, you go right back and brush your hair until it shines", then informs the viewer to brush "100 strokes or more" to make it "gleam and glisten", even for boys. She also tells us "washing hair every week is a good habit" LOL Toward the end she does add a qualifier: "Or oftener, if it needs it"

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - January 15, 2004
Subject: I Keep This Film Around to Remind Me How Many Evil Sprite Characters Still Need My Help
The Hair-and-Nails Fairy appears and tells us how she ÃÂhelpsÃÂ children by getting them to be compulsive about hair and nail care through the magic of film reversal. I thought initially we were getting into Evil territory, but sheÃÂs really only an Evil-Wanna-Be. She even admits that she is often ÃÂhelpsÃÂ her victims by remaining invisible, revealing a severe lack of the shamelessness that is so fundamental to these characters. You wouldnÃÂt catch Mr. B Natural or Soapy operating under a cloak of invisibility! And her only magical powers seem to be having a magic wand that makes guitar feedback sounds (which IÃÂll admit is a tiny bit evil) and the ability to reverse the film to make children do her bidding. But she lacks the fundamental mind-control powers of a Coily or a Chalky. She does show potential in her ability to get the first kid to wash his hands compulsively and to get the kid with ringworm to grin like a mindless idiot. But she needs more training and practice before she can join the ranks of the Bucky Beaver Society of Evil Sprite Characters. Nice try, but no cigar.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ****. Weirdness: ****. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ****.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - February 25, 2003
Subject: AIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!
Just about the most creepiest character ever devised for a fantasy film comes out and warns the kids about good hair and nail habits. Although she's not as hysterical as 'Soapy The Germ Fighter' (which, sadly, is not on the Prelinger Archives) this fairy god mother person just is about the most grating person ever presented in any film I have ever seen. She gives awful advice about nail and hair care ('always brush your hair 50 or more times a night!") and doesnt shy away from medical examples (Ringworm! Lice! Hangnails!!!!!! AIEEE!). Oh man, this film is a keeper and is a MUST SEE.

Shotlist

A fairy tale character uses magic to help youngsters learn good health habits. She shows them how to clean and manicure their fingernails and brush their hair.
Ken Smith motes: A VERY atypical EBF film; starts with a CU of a drawing of a boy with lion mane hair and claw-like fingernails; "I always keep that picture on my wall, just to remind me how many boys and girls still need my help." But who is she??? The hair and nails fairy? dressed like Betsy Ross on a period set. I guess boring EBF didn't have any fairy stuff. No explanation; you're simply supposed to accept it. waves her magic wand, swish pan, schweeeeeeboi-ang! freeze-frame, then reverse at high speed "Ready? Let's go!" Stanley has dirty nails, which is bad. He washes his hair every week, but that's good. "magic eyes" -- animated cutaway disgram of a hair growing; bald-headed idiot-grin kid with pinworms; "nits" -- the eggs of hair lice. "They're easy to get rid of." Yeah -- if you washed your hair more than once a week. "Don't use anyone else's comb but your own. And don't wear anybody else's hat."

Danger Lurks
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